Three Aussies kidnapped in Nigeria

Nigerian kidnappers have seized three Australians, a New Zealander, a South African and two Nigerians in the country's southeast.

NIGERIA

Source: Google Maps

Three Australians and a New Zealander are in the hands of Nigerian kidnappers after a deadly roadside attack on a group of mine workers.

The men were in a group driving on the outskirts of the city of Calabar when they were attacked by gunmen on Wednesday.

A Nigerian driver was shot dead, while seven in total were kidnapped, including a South African and two Nigerians.

Another Australian managed to flee the attackers.

The men worked for Perth-based mining company Macmahon Holdings, which mines material for processing at Lafarge Africa's UniCems cement plant at Mfamosing, in Nigeria's southeast.

Australian officials are working with local police and the Nigerian government to determine what happened.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the identity of the kidnappers was not yet known.

"It is a very serious kidnapping," he told reporters on Thursday.

"In many respects the less (foreign minister) Julie (Bishop) and I say about this the better from the point of view of recovering the kidnapped people."

A local Nigerian news website, Punch, said the men had been travelling in four vehicles and escorted by police and security guards when they were attacked near a bridge.

Eyewitness Akan Akpan said the kidnappers had fled with the seven men in a boat.

"These kidnappers came out from the bridge, shot the driver of the vehicle and took the victims away through the river," he told Punch.

Macmahon says it's supporting the men's families.

"We are working to ensure the safe return of all the men involved and are in communication with their families," Macmahon said in a statement.

Ms Bishop said while Australian officials had some understanding of what happened during the ambush, she was reluctant to go into detail "lest it affect the outcome".

"We are treating this extremely seriously, as I understand is the Nigerian government, and I will continue to remain in contact with our ambassador and at the appropriate levels within the Nigerian government," she said.

The cement factory is in the state of Cross River, an area the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) advises Australians not to visit because of the high risk of kidnapping, robbery and other armed attacks.

Twenty five per cent of kidnappings around the world happened in Nigeria in 2015.

Security expert Justin Bowden, whose firm Beltin Group advises companies operating in risky areas, said Nigeria has significant issues with civil unrest, organised crime gangs, guerilla fighting, smuggling, the availability of firearms, and drugs.

"In this particular case it will be interesting to see if (the motive for the kidnapping is) purely financial and if it's a short-term hostage taking to get a quick return," he told AAP.


Share
3 min read
Published 23 June 2016 5:46pm
Updated 24 June 2016 10:19am
Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends